Meishan Jun immediately burst into tears, snatching the crow and cradling it in his arms as he sobbed, "Little Crow! Which bastard hurt you?!"
Zhen Hongsheng said, "I've been rather bored these past few days. Remembering that Jiuyun sent you a new set of wine vessels, I thought I'd drop by for a drink. But as I was flying my carriage near Turn Tide Mountain, I spotted your precious crow injured on a treetop. I kindly brought it back for you."
Meishan Jun wasn’t listening at all. The Spirit Guards had already brought out jars and bottles of ointments, pills, and powders, which he dumped all over the crow, turning it from black to white. Only then did he cradle it protectively in his arms, nurturing it with his own immortal energy.
Zhen Hongsheng ignored his hysterics and turned to Xin Mei, then to Lu Qianqiao, studying him thoughtfully from head to toe before finally glaring at him resentfully. "Little girl, it hasn’t been long since I last saw you, and you’ve already found yourself a fine husband? Hmm, not bad-looking... quite manly, too..."
Xin Mei greeted him politely, "Fox Immortal Lord, he’s not my husband. Speaking of manliness, your outfit today—"
"Stop!" Zhen Hongsheng immediately paled and waved his hands to cut her off, wiping sweat from his brow in relief before asking, "Why have you come to Meishan’s place?"
Well... that would take too long to explain. As Xin Mei pondered how to summarize her complicated entanglement with Lu Qianqiao, he suddenly spoke up: "Have there been any unusual occurrences near Turn Tide Mountain?"
Zhen Hongsheng felt irritated just looking at Lu Qianqiao’s imposing demeanor.
Why did this man, dressed in nothing but a plain light-blue robe, exude such masculinity? He tugged at his own wide sleeves and touched the glittering golden crown on his head, dreading Xin Mei’s inevitable comment about him resembling a Celestial Maiden from a painting. Before she could speak, he discreetly cast an illusion spell, transforming his outfit into flowing white robes. He then flicked open a fan and waved it gracefully twice before reluctantly meeting Lu Qianqiao’s disdainful gaze.
"I didn’t notice anything unusual near Turn Tide Mountain. If you’re worried, you can go back and check for yourself."
Lu Qianqiao fell silent for a moment, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Meishan Jun, still sniffling, choked out, "Little Crow is badly hurt—who knows when it’ll wake up? Whatever you’re asking about will have to wait until it recovers. If it’s urgent, you should go ahead. I’ll notify you if I learn anything."
Lu Qianqiao nodded. "Very well. I appreciate your help."
Nearby, an attentive Spirit Guard had already brought out the Fierce Cloud Colt. He leaped onto the horse’s back and extended a hand to Xin Mei. "Get on."
Zhen Hongsheng suddenly spoke in a gentle voice, "Little Mei, you don’t have to leave, do you? Why not stay and play for a few days?"
Meishan Jun, who had been weeping over the crow, perked up instantly at this and lifted his head.
Xin Mei hesitated, glancing back at Meishan Jun’s hopeful yet fearful expression before looking up at Lu Qianqiao’s impassive face. He said nothing, merely pulling out a talisman paper from his sleeve and toying with it between his fingers.
It was Qiu Yue!
She obediently hopped onto the horse and gave Meishan Jun and Zhen Hongsheng an apologetic smile. "Uh... maybe next time..."
Zhen Hongsheng watched thoughtfully as the Fierce Cloud Colt rode off into the wind. Suddenly, Meishan Jun spoke up, "You damn fox, why’d you have to ask her to stay? Now that War Ghost will come looking for trouble with me!"Zhen Hongsheng turned with a smile, sizing him up. "I just think... she'd be safer with you. Hanging around the War Fiend General seems rather dangerous."
Meishan Jun was stunned. "What danger?"
Zhen Hongsheng rolled his eyes. "Just a wild guess! Stop nagging—are we drinking or not?"
Unlike their arrival, Lu Qianqiao now seemed anxious. Sensing its master's mood, the Fierce Cloud Colt galloped at full speed, swift as a shooting star. Xin Mei couldn't help her curiosity. "Lu Qianqiao, what are you worried about? Even though Little Crow was injured near the Imperial Mausoleum, didn’t you say the cloud mist array is incredibly powerful?"
He shook his head without answering.
Perhaps he couldn’t explain the vague unease in his heart. Little Crow’s wounds weren’t from ordinary weapons—they looked familiar... But how could that be? Was it her? Could it really be her? After all these years...
"Lu Qianqiao, today is the 28th of April. In two more days, it’ll be May."
She sighed faintly.
Lu Qianqiao murmured, "What about May?"
"On the third day of May, I’ll turn sixteen. My father said I absolutely must marry before I’m sixteen. But I still haven’t managed to buy a husband yet."
Most of the blame for failing to purchase a husband fell on him. She lifted her head resentfully to glare at him.
What... what was he supposed to say now? Lu Qianqiao fell silent. Should he comfort her by saying she’d surely find a suitable husband later, or tell her that husbands weren’t something one simply bought? He struggled internally, carefully weighing his words.
"Since you keep dragging me around flying everywhere, maybe I should just save myself the trouble and marry you instead. How much do you think would be fair?"
This thunderbolt of a statement shocked him so much he dropped the reins.
The Fierce Cloud Colt bolted forward, and with a whoosh, both of them were flung from its back, plummeting straight down from the dizzying heights. Xin Mei’s scream was brief and faint—the next moment, he spread his arms and crushed her tightly against his chest. As they fell, he desperately whistled.
The Fierce Cloud Colt was highly intelligent. The moment it realized its riders had fallen, it immediately turned on the clouds and raced back, obediently nestling beside Lu Qianqiao as he seized the reins. With a twist of his waist, they were safely mounted once more.
Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, he looked down at the troublemaker who always had a knack for shocking statements, his heart still pounding. Her mouth hung open, still savoring the thrill of the moment. After a long pause, she slowly closed it and mumbled, "I... I was just joking..."
He glanced at his hand, sorely tempted to squeeze her to death, revive her, and squeeze her again—over and over.
Xin Mei giggled. "Did you take me seriously?"
Lu Qianqiao’s face remained expressionless as he pulled out the talisman paper where Qiu Yue resided and shook it.
She immediately lowered her head. "I was wrong. Sorry."
Having learned its lesson, the Fierce Cloud Colt no longer dared to fly so high or so fast. It gradually descended, leisurely skimming the emerald sea of treetops.
The warm spring breeze brushed the back of her head, and Xin Mei shook it uncomfortably. Only then did she realize that after being thrown off and pulled back up, she was now sitting face-to-face with Lu Qianqiao, his arm still wrapped around her waist. Her entire face... well, her entire face had been pressed against his chest this whole time.
"Lu Qianqiao... Lu Qianqiao." She looked up to call him.
His face had gone blank again, pretending not to hear.Xin Mei leaned back slightly. "You're squeezing my waist too tight."
The poker-faced man froze, as if only now realizing how intimate their seated position was. He stiffly withdrew his hand, his face flushing crimson in an instant, ears turning bright red as well. He abruptly turned his head away.
Xin Mei finally felt a hint of embarrassment. "Why... why are you blushing...?"
Now she was feeling awkward too.
This was too uncomfortable—usually in plays during scenes like this, someone would interrupt... Fine, whoever you are, please come interrupt now!
It seemed the heavens truly heard her plea, because Lu Qianqiao's sunset-red face instantly paled again. With a gentle tug on the reins, Fierce Cloud Colt obediently stopped atop a tree.
"What's wrong?" Xin Mei asked in surprise.
Lu Qianqiao didn't answer. He simply gazed quietly at a spot several zhang ahead—blue sky, green trees, a snow-white carriage, and two people standing beside it. The breeze lifted their pristine white robes as they stood like ancient trees, tall and proud. Beneath their jade-cold foreheads, pairs of blood-red eyes sent chills down one's spine.
Red-eyed Double Pupils—this was how War Ghosts looked when their killing intent was aroused.
Every muscle in Lu Qianqiao's body tensed instantly, like a bowstring drawn to its limit.
Xin Mei's eyes darted between the two War Ghosts and the snow-white carriage. When she saw their crimson eyes, she couldn't help but gasp: "Eyes so red, like..." like strawberries.
The rest of her words were gently covered by Lu Qianqiao's hand. Covering her mouth, he said with lingering apprehension, "...You'd better not speak."
The killing aura of red-eyed War Ghosts targeted any provocation—whether well-intentioned, accidental, or malicious.
He placed the talisman paper containing Qiu Yue into her hand. This Qiu Yue, which he'd used to bully, confine, and coerce her throughout their journey, he returned to her just like that, as if it were nothing.
"Go back. Return to Sinister Clan," he ordered.
Xin Mei stared blankly for a moment before asking, "Are you going to fight? Afraid I'll hold you back?"
"...Just go." He sounded utterly helpless, giving her head a gentle push.
She summoned Qiu Yue and nimbly leaped onto its back, turning to look at him seriously. "Then I'm leaving. Be careful—don't get beaten to death."
She never seemed capable of saying anything particularly sweet or tender.
Lu Qianqiao watched as Qiu Yue flew into the distance before urging Fierce Cloud Colt to leap down from the treetop, landing lightly opposite the carriage.
The snow-white carriage was spotless; the pitch-black whistling wind dark steed had lightning beneath its hooves.
It was really her. After all these years, to meet her again in a place like this.
Lu Qianqiao dismounted and strode forward to kneel before the carriage, his voice calm:
"Mother."
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